Every Third Job Seeker in the UK Spends More Than 10 Hours a Week Job Hunting, According to Jooble

Jooble surveyed 1,149 UK job seekers on their views of the labour market and their job search and hiring expectations.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, July 31, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Key Insights:
- 36.2% of UK job seekers are optimistic about finding new employment within 1-3 months.
- Lack of feedback from employers and the scarcity of suitable job openings are the primary obstacles faced by job seekers.
- Many job seekers dedicate considerable time to their job search efforts each week, with 12.4% spending over 30 hours per week.

Job Seekers' Perceptions and Challenges

According to Jooble's survey of job seekers about their satisfaction with the current labour market, the responses were nearly evenly split: around one-third (34.6%) indicated that they have a neutral view of the labour market; another third (29.9%) are satisfied or very satisfied with the available job opportunities, and the remaining (35.5%) are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

The primary challenges they face during their job search include the lack of feedback from employers, which affects 38.5% of respondents, and the scarcity of suitable job openings, which impacts 29.8% of job seekers. High competition with other applicants poses a significant challenge for 13% of respondents, while time-consuming application processes are a concern for 10.7%. Additionally, 8% of job seekers feel limited by the lack of networking opportunities.

Effort Required to Find a New Job

Job seekers invest a significant amount of time in their search for new employment. The survey results indicate that 31.2% of respondents spend up to 5 hours per week on their job search, while 34.5% dedicate 5 to 10 hours weekly. Another third of respondents, namely 34.3%, stated that they spend over 10 hours a week on job hunting: 13.2% of the total respondents spend 10-20 hours per week, and 8.7% spend 20-30 hours per week. Additionally, 12.4% of respondents devote more than 30 hours per week to their job search activities.

The survey also revealed that job seekers are actively applying for positions. Approximately 44.5% of respondents submit up to 5 job applications per week, while 29% apply for 6 to 10 jobs weekly. Furthermore, 13.1% of job seekers submit 11 to 20 applications, 4.9% apply for 21 to 30 jobs, and 8.5% submit more than 30 applications per week.

Importance of Professional Networks

Job seekers consider maintaining an active presence on professional networks crucial for enhancing their chances of quickly finding new employment. The survey indicated that 17.9% of respondents update their profiles on professional networks or other online sources daily during their job search. Several times a week, 16.7% of job seekers update their profiles, while 19.1% do so once a week. Additionally, 23.7% of respondents update their profiles once a month, and 22.6% rarely or never engage in this activity.

Expected Time to Find a Suitable Job

Job seekers have varying expectations regarding the time it will take to find suitable employment. According to the survey, 28.1% of respondents expect to find a new job in less than 1 month, while 36.2% anticipate securing employment within 1-3 months. Another 18.1% of job seekers believe it will take 3-6 months to find a suitable position, and 17.6% expect the process to take 6-12 months.

Views on the Hiring Process

Jooble's survey also explored job seekers' perceptions of the hiring process. A majority of respondents, 41.4%, believe the process is transparent, while 36% hold a neutral view. However, 22.6% of job seekers find the hiring process somewhat or very opaque.

In terms of communication preferences, the majority of respondents, 76.4%, prefer to be contacted by potential employers via email. Additionally, 15.6% are comfortable with phone calls, 5.1% prefer text messages, 1.7% opt for recruitment agency intermediaries, and 1.2% favour LinkedIn as a communication channel.

About the Survey

Jooble’s Job Seeker Survey was conducted online with 1,149 respondents located in the UK. Participants were surveyed between June 6 and July 10, 2024. The survey targeted job seekers across various sectors including IT & Technology, Healthcare, Finance, Education, Marketing and Advertising, Distribution and Logistics, Engineering, Retail, Government and Public Sector, Manufacturing, Arts and Entertainment, and other industries. Of the respondents, 47.1% reported having higher education, 34.4% have secondary education, 11.1% hold vocational education, and 7.4% have no formal education.

About Jooble

Jooble is an international job search website utilised by millions daily in 67 countries. The platform aggregates thousands of job openings from various sources onto a single page, making it one of the top 10 most popular employment resources globally in terms of traffic in the Jobs and Employment segment, according to SimilarWeb.

Yuliia Antoniuk
Jooble
yuliia.antoniuk@jooble.com
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